More about the Location feature in Mobile Web Server
One of the coolest things in Mobile Web Server 1.3 beta has to be the Location feature. It’s a bit hidden down there in Presence application so chances are you haven’t even noticed it yet.
By default Presence page shows just the coordinates if the phone location is found. It’s fair to say that’s not very intuitive but here we are leaving the innovation possibilities for developers and hobbyists. It’s very easy to modify the default Presence page to have a link to any map or other service. Hint: the file is Web server\htdocs\Web_Applications\Presence\Viewer\index.psp. You can take a look at our demo device’s Presence page, it has some examples on what to do with the location.
If you don’t feel like experimenting just start to use our Facebook application. It will translate your location into a map name and country, if you allow that. This way your friends can check out your live location roughly.
The location feature works in S60 devices that have the AGPS feature in software. This includes all the models that have internal GPS module. For some products such as N95 and E90 make sure you have the latest software for the device. Our current implementation only uses network-based location which can be hundreds of meters or even kilometers off depending on the cellular network structure. In our next release we will add an option to use also the GPS information if desired.
Bonus link: The Mobile Web Server brochure describes this and other possible future ideas. If you have new ideas, you know what to do 
-Jukka
I really need to update my hardware; I’d like to play more with this aspect of the MWS.
How does the N96 work with MWS? I would assume no issues, but have there been any plusses?
Antoine, it’s too early to say anything definite about N96. We will officially support S60 3rd. Ed, FP2 in our next release.
I’ve just discovered MWS.
I’m a linux user on the desktop.
WOW - I’m excited! It just does everything I want.
It’s now on my must have list along with Fring.
How did I live without this? Is this the future of all phones?
Zero footprint on the desktop. Goodbye PC Suite.
Well done Jukka + Nokia.
Cheers
Phill.
This stuff is wild, congratulations. I’m planning to cycle Lands End to John O Groats in July and would love to track the route with my N95 - for this reason it would be great stuff if you can transmit the GPS position using the phone web server software. Likely?
All the best,
Rob
A very nice update.
Thanks all!
@Rob: the location is available in Presence page and in our REST API, so you can read them there (via browser or another service). For just tracking GPS info you might want to check out Sports Tracker as well.
Sorry I wasn’t that clear in my initial comment, apologies.
The location available in Presence page and via the REST API is the network based location, which isn’t as accurate as the GPS location.
I have used sports tracker, but the advantage to using mws is I could build a mapping mashup website\facebook application which uses the REST API to read the gps location provided by mws. Using just sports tracker I would have to download\upload the GPS track at the end of everyday before I could map it in a web application. MWS with GPS location (not network based location) would allow me to build a live web mapping application.
All very good stuff.
Cheers, Rob.
Rob, just between us
our next release will have GPS support as well. Keep us posted when you do that application, thanks!
hello hey, ive tried and tried to get a location for my presence but to no prevail.
Please can i get some help on this.
Device Nokia N73, Network T-mobile US.
thx
Joey, like I wrote Location feature requires a device with AGPS feature and N73 is not one of them.
Hi,
indeed very cool functionality. I´m wondering why it is network based (Cell Id?) accuracy, but needs GPS sight to provide location info?
cheers,
dietmar
Dietmar, it doesn’t require GPS signal but requires AGPS functionality on the device. The feature itself works indoors or any place provided that cellular-id based positíon is found.
It’s really fun to play with location information!
One question though: How exactly is the “estimated accuracy” information to be interpreted?
You see, I put a marker on Google Maps at lat/lon and draw a circle around it to show the area that I’m probably in. Now, is “accuracy” the radius of this circle or the diameter?
Ossi,
My understanding is A-GPS works by querying a Nokia web server that keeps a list of the locations of various mobile cell id’s. So the AGPS function submits your cell id to the server and then compares to a nearby cell locations.
I suspect the accuracy of the result from the web server will depend on several factors, the density of the cell network, the frequency of update. I would suspect this would be most accurate in the city and less accurate in open areas with sparse coverage.
Just a best guess.
Rob
Rob,
thx for your reply. I understand that, at least I hope so
My question was about something different:
If the device says the estimated accuracy is 96m (as in the first screenshot on top of the page), does this mean I’m in a circle with a 96m radius around the given coordinates or in a circle with a 96m diameter (which would be a much more accurate estimation)? It’s important for me to know because I actually draw this circle on the map to visualize that I’m “in an area” rather than “at a position”.
I see; in which case I have no idea, one for Nokia
I’d be very surprised if you can map a circle with any really meaning, I’d have thought that 96m is an almost arbitrary function of the cell density?
I see; in which case I have no idea, one for Nokia
I’d be very surprised if you can map a circle with any really meaning, I’d have thought that 96m is an almost arbitrary function of the cell density?
Rob, ossi: The accuracy is the diameter of the circle.
Rob, ossi: No, it is the radius. Sorry about the confusion!
Jukka,
I got around to building a simple tracking application this weekend. It probably doesn’t do much more that the Facebook application the MWS team has written, but it worked. Good to put theory into practice!
I have a demo website up and running here:
Mobile Phone Tracking with a Nokia N95
Unfortunately, due to the short battery lifespan of the N95, I don’t have the web server and GPS switched on very often, but when all switched on it works a treat.
Rob
It does suck a lot of battery life, isnt it ?
@kerry: This feature or MWS in general? Asking for the location via MWS doesn’t consume anymore battery life than using GPS or Maps in general.